Paddle wheel diffuser

ABSTRACT

An apparatus mounted on the rotatable barrels of an aircraft gun for deflecting the gun blast therefrom as well as providing a torque assist to the rotatable gun barrels. The apparatus utilizes a plurality of curved separator baffles in conjunction with plates secured thereto in order to form a plurality of chambers which encompass the gun blast from individual gun barrels.

United States Patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dardick 89/160 Groff Aug. 12, 1975 PADDLE WHEEL DIFFUSER 3,703,122 1 1/1972 Farrington et a1. .4 89/160 [75] Inventor: Richard T. Groff, Ladue, Mo.

Primary ExaminerStephen C. Bentley [73] Asslgnee: The Un'ted States of Amenca as Attorney, Agent, or FirmJoseph E. Rusz; Jacob N.

represented by the Secretary of the Erlich Air Force, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: Dec. 11, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21] App]. No; 423,856

An apparatus mounted on the rotatable barrels of an aircraft gun for deflecting the gun blast therefrom as [52] US. Cl 89/14 C; 89/375 R; 89/160 we as providing a torque assist to the rotatable gun [51] Int. Cl 364d 7/02; F41Cl 7/04 1 The apparatus utilizes a plurality of curved [58] Field Of Search 89/14 C, 37.5 R, 160 separator baffles in Conjunction with plates Secured thereto in order to form a plurality of chambers which [56] References Cited encompass the gun blast from individual gun barrels.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAUB 1 aims 3.898.910 SHEET 2 PADDLE WHEEL DIIFFUSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to an auxilliary device for automatic weapons, such as a machine gun.

'and, more particularly to a paddle wheel diffuser for attachment to an automatic weapon for preventing damaging shock waves from causing aircraft engine stall/flameout.

As pointed out in US. Pat. No. 3,670,622 by the inventor of the instant application gun installations located forward of the jet engine ducts frequently cause engine operational problems such as compressor stall or engine flame out when the weapon is fired at moderate to high altitudes (35,000 to 50,000 feet and above). The engine problems are related to interruption of the air flow due to pressure and/or temperature changes to normal air inlet flow of the engine due to muzzle blast effects. The diffusion and deflection of muzzle blast and residue from engine inlets can improve or prevent the detrimental engine operational effects caused by firing the Weapon. The diversion and diffusion of muzzle blast away from the engine air inlet ducts is therefore a desired result of any muzzle diffuser located forward of the engine inlets on a high performance jet aircraft.

Heretofore, the systems utilized to prevent this problem encompassed numerous elements and involved a great expense. There has been no simplified diffuser which is readily adaptable to the quick installation on jet aircraft automatic weapons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention sets forth a paddle wheel diffuser which not only eliminates the problems set forth hereinabove but is also capable, because of its unique design, to help direct the gas flowing normal to the projectile path in order to give a torque assist to the weapon.

The paddle wheel diffuser of this invention is made up of plates and baffles shaped to redirect the projectile gas normal to the muzzle of the weapon so that it may be ducted or ported to a desirable outlet. The baffles or separator plates are of a curved configuration thereby utilizing the undesirable projectile gas for the purpose of giving the weapon a torque assist.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a paddle whee] diffuser capable of diffusing and defleeting the gun blast from an aircraft mounted weapon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a paddle wheel diffuser capable of utilizing the blast from an aircraft mounted weapon in order to provide a torque assist for the weapon.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a paddle wheel diffuser which is economical to produce, highly effective in operation and which utilizes conventional currently available components that lend themselves to standard mass producing manufacturing techniques.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of the paddle wheel diffuser of this invention in place on a weapon; and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the paddle wheel diffuser of this invention showing in dotted lines the curvature of the baffles or separator plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawing which clearly shows the paddle wheel diffuser 10 of this invention in position on any conventional weapon such as an automatic weapon 12 to be used in a jet aircraft (not shown). For example, weapon 12 could be a machine gun having six barrels 14 which are rotatable. The weapon 12 being so designed that a projectile is fired through the lowest positioned barrel 14.

Diffuser 10 is made up ofa rear plate 16 having a plurality of apertures 18 therein. The number of apertures 18 correspond to the number of barrels 14 in the weapon 12 used therewith, for example, six as shown in the drawing. The rear plate 16 is secured to barrels 14 of weapon 12 by a conventional mounting arrangement such as welding with each barrel 14 protruding through an aperture 18. It would be possible with minor alterations of plate 16 to removably mount plate 16 on weapon 12 if desired. A plurality of elongated supporting struts 20 are fixedly secured by any conventional securing means such as welding to rear plate 16 separating individual barrels l4 and apertures 18 from each other as well as supporting the main section 22 of diffuser 10.

Main section 22 is made up of a plurality of flat plates 23, 24 and 25 held together by a plurality of separator plates or baffles 26 thereby forming a plurality of individual chambers 27. End plate 23 is fixedly secured to struts 20 and has a plurality of apertures 28 therein aligned with apertures 18 on rear plate 16. Apertures 28 are of a large enough diameter to allow barrels 14 to pass therethrough. Remaining plates 24 and 25 are similar in construction to end plate 24, having the apertures 28 therein aligned with apertures 28 in plate 23. Any suitable number of plates may be utilized with the instant invention, although only three are shown in the drawing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, plates 23-25 are held in position by a plurality of curved baffles 26. These baffles 26 not only separate the individual barrels l4 and provide for individual chambers 27 but also hold plates 23-25 securely in position and because of their curvature help direct the exhaust gas in order to give a torque assist to weapon 12.

In addition to the structure support rendered by struts 20 and baffles 26 a tube 30 may run the length of diffuser 10 to add to the support thereof. This tube 30 would be located with a central opening in plates 24 and being welded in position therein.

The paddle wheel design of this invention is extremely efficient in directing over percent of the gun gas normal to the projectile path thus keeping hot gases away from engine inlets and avoiding flameouts during gun fire. The main difference of the paddle wheel design over previous devices is that the paddle wheel diffuser 10 of the instant invention handles the expansion and kinetic energy of the gases by considering a unit slug force flowing from the barrel redirected according to basic fluidic laws both tangential and rapid as proposed by current physical laws. The first chamber has a forward looking face rather than a labyrinth, and will by nature of its face to face ratio expinge a greater amount of gas and will be a greater deterrant of the shock wave that distrubs the present day jet engine.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that this invention is also capable of a variety of alternate embodiments within the spirt and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels comprising a supporting structure secured to said gun barrels, a plurality of plates fixedly secured to said supporting structure, each of said plates having a plurality of apertures therein to permit said barrels to pass therethrough and a plurality of curved separator baffies located perpendicular to and interposed between said plates forming a plurality of chambers within said device which allows said gun blast to escape therefrom, each of said chambers encompassing the gun blast from a single barrel and in addition permits said gun blast to impart an added torque to said rotatable gun barrels.

2. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting structure is in the form of a plate which surrounds said gun barrels and has a plurality of apertures therein which allow said barrels to pass therethrough.

3. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 2 wherein all said apertures are in alignment with one another.

4. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 3 wherein there are three plates fixedly secured to said supporting structure and said plates are positioned in spaced parallel relationship.

5. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 4 wherein a plurality of elongated struts fixedly secure said supporting plate to one of said other plates.

6. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 5 wherein an elongated tube is located within said device to add structural support thereto. 

1. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels comprising a supPorting structure secured to said gun barrels, a plurality of plates fixedly secured to said supporting structure, each of said plates having a plurality of apertures therein to permit said barrels to pass therethrough and a plurality of curved separator baffles located perpendicular to and interposed between said plates forming a plurality of chambers within said device which allows said gun blast to escape therefrom, each of said chambers encompassing the gun blast from a single barrel and in addition permits said gun blast to impart an added torque to said rotatable gun barrels.
 2. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting structure is in the form of a plate which surrounds said gun barrels and has a plurality of apertures therein which allow said barrels to pass therethrough.
 3. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 2 wherein all said apertures are in alignment with one another.
 4. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 3 wherein there are three plates fixedly secured to said supporting structure and said plates are positioned in spaced parallel relationship.
 5. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 4 wherein a plurality of elongated struts fixedly secure said supporting plate to one of said other plates.
 6. A device for deflecting a gun blast from an aircraft mounted gun having a plurality of rotatable barrels as defined in claim 5 wherein an elongated tube is located within said device to add structural support thereto. 